Transformation

• Guidelines for an Enlightened Pregnancy
• Power of Prenatal Meditation and Prayer
• Ayurvedic Mental, Spiritual and Physical Preparation for Motherhood
• Inspiring the Unborn through Beauty
• Song to the Womb-Child
• Music and the Sounds of Nature: Torkom Saraydarian
• Smiling Newborns
• Unbounded Consciousness and Pregnancy

• Dr Christiane Northrup -- Women must choose to live out their pregnancies wisely, because the way they do so affects both themselves and their offspring. Babies remember their lives -- all parts of their lives -- and their experiences have a large effect on them. Prenatal and birth memories, and their potential impact on the unborn, are one of many reasons why women must learn to manage their fertility and learn how to conceive consciously.

• Ella Wheeler Wilcox -- It is not so much what you are doing before your child is born, as what you are thinking which molds its character. Do not indulge in disagreeable moods. Forgive your enemies and wish them well. Cast out bitterness and anger. You are no longer your own mistress; you belong to your unborn child. Do not look upon deformity or ugliness for any length of time. If you are must be in its presence, close your eyes and imagine beauty around you. When you fall asleep picture beautiful things in your mind and ask all good angels to guard you and your child. Believe you are to bring a blessing into the world.

  Avoid reading or thinking or talking cruelty, sin, folly or sorrow. Listen to good music and look at beautiful pictures and objects in nature. Avoid thinking of anyone you do not like, or dwelling on disagreeable or annoying events. When depression comes, get out in the open air and do deep breathing exercises.

  Think of noble people. Read books about great philanthropists and philosophers, poets, painters and artists. Cultivate a reverent state of mind -look at the stars, and realize how grand and glorious is this universe, and how wonderful the Creator who conceived and carried out the design. Worship Him with all your heart, and remember that your child is a reflection of Him, and you are to be the mother of one of God's own kin. Thank Him for the great privilege of motherhood, and let not worry or anxiety regarding the future depress you. Say, "I am that most sacred thing on earth, an expectant mother -- all will be well with me.

• Torkom Saraydarian -- A pregnant woman is closest to being like the Creator, for the same mystery of creation is being enacted through her.

  A newborn baby is the sum total of his past. But the mother's influence, while the child is in the womb, conditions him and either gives him a chance to overcome his hindrances and live as a cause, or continue to be the effect of the causes of the past.

  If a mother is physically and emotionally healthy and radioactive with love, if she is mentally creative and educated, and if she is spiritually advanced and her nature is in tune with the greater nature of the planet and of the Cosmos, then the generation that is coming from that mother will uplift and transform this planet.

  Admiration and ecstasy have an alchemical effect on the aura. They produce a kind of fiery substance which invigorates, transforms, and heals the body, purifies the emotions and expands the consciousness. This charges the embryo with a spirit of striving and creativity.

• Omraam Mikael Aivanhov -- Thanks to a pregnant woman's thoughts the seed that is growing within her will absorb the pure, precious materials she gives it and, one day, she will bring into the world a great artist, or a brilliant scientist, a saint, a messenger from God.

• Marie R. Hotchener - The three elements of the child's personality - physical, emotional, and mental - develop at different times during gestation. Therefore, during the first trimester, focus on the physical growth of fetus - diet, exercise, clothing, etc. In second trimester, put attention on his emotional growth as well. Surround yourself with beauty in every form - music, poetry, art, happiness. Meditate upon sculpture and paintings of perfect male and female bodies with the desire for a beautiful child. In the final trimester, add attention to mental development along with the physical and emotional elements. Read literature of the highest character to sow seeds in its newly forming mental body.

• Susan, a full-time mother with two children, offers advice on how pregnant women can carry their child in a positive, compassionate and divine consciousness.

  Adorn yourself as a queen. Embellish your role by performing duties with enthusiasm and enjoyment. Pamper yourself when the opportunity presents itself. Structure daily meditations into the routine. Sleep enough at night to feel fresh in the morning. Exercise regularly to keep physically fit. Retreat to solitude when unable to maintain a positive mood. Cultivate a few personal interests unassociated with mothering. Draw inspiration from spiritual reading, knowledge classes and friendships. Adore your children as sources of Divine inspiration for your spiritual growth. Eliminate resentment from your heart by correcting the habit of judging others. Practice forgiveness and optimism when confronted with ignorance.

• Harold W. Percival -- Pregnancy can be a time of immense satisfaction, "one in which the mother feels sympathy for everyone; a period of mental exhilaration, buoyancy and life, of happiness, aspiration and high-mindedness, and she may gain knowledge of things not usually known."

• Murshida Vera Justin Corda -- A pregnant woman must avoid negative, painful or disturbing news which instills fear. In cases of death in the family, accidents or sudden shocks, positive affirmations, silence, and meditation can mitigate a pregnant woman's reaction to them and build inner security.

• Harold W. Percival -- Because pregnancy opens up a woman's psychic nature and sensitivity, the pregnant mother must "hold herself to a pure life and think of lofty subjects." She must avoid improper thoughts, appetites and desires. "She has the right to refuse to obey any impressions felt which would tend to lower her in her own estimation or to injure her present or future health."

• Christiane Northrup, M.D. -- One study on stress and pregnancy showed that not slowing down is sometimes associated with increased health risks. Certain hormones (urinary catecholamines) produced by the adrenals and other tissue under physical or mental stress increased by 58% during work periods in pregnant physicians and nurses, compared with nonwork periods. The pregnant physicians' catecholamine levels were also increased by 64% over those of working nonphysicians' control groups of similar gestational age.

• Murshida Vera Justin Corda -- "Relaxation is a key to an easier birth. Hatha Yoga, swimming, dancing, Tai Chi, gardening, walking on the beach, exercising to music, and tensing and relaxing the muscles from head to foot while lying down or meditating. . . . Exchanging hand and foot massages can be a great relaxation at the end of the day."

  "As the full implication of being the first spiritual guide seeps in, she often finds that entering into a life of contemplation and prayer paves the way to the relinquishment of self-love."

• Africa -- During pregnancy, !Kung women sit quietly and remain calm when passions arise.

• Tibet -- Spirituality grows naturally during the time a child ripens within the mother's womb and spiritual practice is important to ensure the mother and child's optimal health.

• Joan Salter -- Pregnancy is a time for dreaming dreams, contemplating the Infinite, for being in tune with the universe. Sit quietly for ten or fifteen minutes each day, relaxed in body and calm in mind. Visualize the coming child having a mood of reverence and gratitude for the miracle of incarnation.

• Dr Leonard Levis -- "Pregnancy is a time for turning inward, when one's sense of purpose may be expanded, when one's awareness of the mystery of life may become heightened, and when one may open one's soul to honest examination. It is also a time when . . . the incorporation of spiritual practices into one's life may take on new importance and meaning."

• England -- Doctors in the 19th century advised expectant mothers to take a daily rest period in a quiet room. Otherwise, the unborn baby may become imprinted with harsh passions or disfigurements.

• Ayurveda -- The pregnant woman must meditate daily. She must engage her mind upon a clear image of her ideal child. Suggested prayer for Parent-Fetus Bonding: "We pray in the name of the Highest Truth. We believe that everyone stands by his own causality, self or karma. Though we do not wish any change in the chosen course of our child, we desire for the good of our child. Little baby we welcome you!

  "Come to enjoy a fruitful and realized life. We would like you to be.... [parents make wish for baby]. Let this prayer work for your good and the good of our family, nation and the world. May the Good Spirit help us."

• Zen Buddhism -- Parents must meditate with the unborn child during pregnancy. This enables both parents and child to cleanse their karmic streams as soon as possible.

• Sikhism -- During pregnancy a couple chant spiritual songs together to keep her vibrations high. She chants as much as possible, especially during the first four to five months of pregnancy.

• Dr Norbert Glas -- As soon as a woman realizes that she is pregnant, a solemn feeling should awaken in her that she has been given an important task. This means culturing a feeling of selfless devotion toward the coming child. It is easier to develop this ideal if she keeps her mind open to the heavens from which the child is coming. Both parents must become free of any egotistic desire that the child be a boy or girl; this is up to the will of the incarnating being. Nor should the decision to have a child be ruled by the idea that the baby will give meaning to the marriage.

• Torkom Saraydarian -- The foundation of civilization and culture is the MOTHER. I believe that in a not too distant future, all over the world, special universities will be established to prepare girls for womanhood and motherhood. A new cycle will start and humanity will sublimate and transform itself, bringing in healthy, beautiful babies who will add greater light, wisdom, and beauty in the world. In a few generations, humanity will change. Heart quality, intuition and the power of pure intelligent discrimination will be the outstanding qualities of this race which will be equipped with physical, emotional and mental health. The planet will be considered too sacred to allow those humans to be born who would make it a planet of sorrow, war, hatred, exploitation, greed and crime. Man will not tolerate the wastage of energy, time, and spiritual interest to maintain a criminal and sorrowful world. If people want a better world to live in, the greatest attention and care must be given to the pregnant woman.

  Periods of solitude increase the well being of the mother and unborn child. Isolation protects the pregnant woman from upsetting influences which can cause problems with the unborn. Isolation offers an opportunity for the mother to retreat within herself and prepare for motherhood.

  A pregnant women uplifts and expands her consciousness and contacts higher energies through meditating and visualizing moments of gratitude. This energy instills the embryo with lofty thoughts, examples, visions and ideas.

  May I be careful with this precious gift given to me. May my baby grow in an atmosphere of health, peace, joy and aspiration.

• Excessive sex particularly during early and late pregnancy
• Overeating or fasting
• Sleeping during the day and staying up late at night
• Tight clothes and tight belts
• Oleation massage, etc. unless positively indicated
• Beholding natural urges unless in an emergency
• Dry, stale, fermented, heavy, hot or strong food as well as alcohol and meat
• Visiting abandoned and remote places
• Leaning into a deep well

• Marie R. Hotchener -- Meditating upon sculpture and paintings of perfect male and female bodies with the desire for a beautiful child will be beneficial for the child's emotional body which begins to develop in the second trimester (after quickening). From that point on, it is vital for expectant mother to surround herself with beauty - music, poetry, art, happiness.

• Judaism -- A pregnant woman who finds pleasure in pleasant things implants seeds of pleasantness in her child.

• Dr Norbert Glas -- A pregnant woman should focus her thoughts and feelings on Raphael's paintings of the Madonna (such as Sistine Madonna), the Madonna im Rosenhag by Stefan Lochner, or Durer's water color of the Virgin Mary with its charming animals. The mother connects with the realms from where her child comes by contemplating these works of art. These paintings transmit healing strength and supply the right food for the soul of a mother-to-be.

• Corinne Heline -- Angels always surround an expectant mother. She is truly set apart, and receives the blessings of many. She can keep her mind attuned to noble and beautiful thoughts by meditating daily upon at least one picture that expresses a high ideal.

• Torkom Saraydarian -- In the past, Asian communities provided a special room for a pregnant woman furnished with oriental carpets, embroidered curtains, lovely vases with flowers, as well as beautiful paintings and statues. Beauty in its many forms -- art, literature, music -- creates admiration, ecstasy, and an uplifted spirit. Admiration and ecstasy produce a kind of fiery substance which invigorates, transforms, and heals the body, purifies the emotions and expands consciousness. This charges the embryo with a spirit of striving and creativity.

• India -- Enhancing the home environment with flowers, aroma, beautiful and harmonious visual arts uplift the mother-to-be's thoughts and feelings.

• Torkom Saraydarian -- Beauties of nature raise the mother's aspirations and create peace of mind. Peace orients the mother to be physically ready to produce healthy nourishment and loving emotions toward her child. The mother's peace of mind promotes healthy nerves and sensory development in the unborn child.

  Observing the stars in the sky has a powerful effect on the nervous system. That is why, in certain countries, a pregnant woman sleeps outdoors on the rooftop, in order to be near the subtle influences of the stars. Or she walks at night in beautiful parks, sits under the trees, observes the sky and discusses mythological stories about the zodiac and constellations.

• Ella Wheeler Wilcox -- Cultivate a reverent state of mind -- look at the stars, and realize how grand and glorious is this universe, and how wonderful the Creator who conceived and carried out the design. Worship Him with all your heart, and remember that your child is a reflection of Him, and believe that you are to be the mother of one of God's own kin. Thank Him hourly for the great privilege of motherhood, and let not worry or anxiety regarding the future depress you. Say, "I am that most sacred thing on earth, an expectant mother -- all will be well with me."

• Murshida Vera Justin Corda -- Watch movements in nature, such as the blossoming of flowers, the bending of tall trees against the wind, the billowing sails of sailing ships, the movements of the sylphs in cloud formations. Lie close to Mother Earth occasionally, listening to her rhythms and sucking up the good magnetism from her bosom. Walk barefoot on the sands of the beach and on smooth dirt paths. As you do so, inhale that magnetism through the feet and up into the heart, then exhale down the arms and let it flow from your fingers back into Mother Earth. Feel the magnetism through your outstretched fingertips.

  Pregnancy is a heightened time for understanding the feminine, attuning to nature and developing creative instincts. Excursions into the animal and bird kingdoms show how animals and birds nurture their young and strengthen a pregnant woman's understanding of her role.

Cross-Cultural Parallels

Throughout the ages indigenous peoples believed that a pregnant mother can influence her baby's behavior in the womb, and this effect carries over into the postnatal period. That is why pregnant women favored positive sensory stimulation.

* Ohiyesa, aka Charles Alexander Eastman -- "Our education begins in our mother's womb. Her attitude and secret meditations are such as to instill into the receptive soul of the unborn child the love of the Great Mystery and a sense of kinship with all creation."

* Eastern Ojibwe -- "A child required the most tender care even before it saw the light of day. Both before and after it was born the mother talked to it, teaching its soul and shadow such information as the habits of the animals it would encounter as it grew up."

* Sanpoil and Nespelem -- The actions of a couple during the months prior to their child's birth were considered of major importance in determining the characteristics and fortunes of that child.

* Balkans -- A pregnant woman's family and community made efforts to spare her from unpleasant sights and to exempt her from hard work. Her privileged life improved the chances of bearing a healthy child.

* Ibibio -- As soon as a woman announced her pregnancy, the wise women taught her the 1,001 do's and don'ts in order the secure the well-being of the newcomer.

Cross-Cultural Parallels

The results of Saraydarian's recommendations are borne out by the following examples:

• Boris Brott -- Boris had an ability to play cello pieces sight unseen. The young man who grew up to be the renowned conductor of the Hamilton, Ontario Philharmonic Symphony knew the flow of the piece before he turned the page of the score. His mother, a professional cellist, explained, "Those musical pieces were the ones I practiced during my pregnancy with you." Music became part of his life during his fetal existence.

• Dr Thomas Verny -- The musical interests of Arthur Rubinstein and Yehudi Menuhin were awakened in the womb.

• Dr Thomas Verny -- A young mother sang a lullaby to her unborn child in the seventh month of pregnancy. Whenever she sang the same lullaby after his birth, her son became calm no matter how upset he had been